Methods I Practice

I use concepts and techniques from a variety of different modalities to help a client in whatever way seems best during a session.  Please feel free to review the following therapeutic approaches and tell me which seems to resonate with you. You may also want to review the included links for even more detailed information.

Guided Imagery / Visualization Hypnotherapy – This simple, gentle, and yet profoundly powerful technique naturally immerses you into a trance of greater focus and relaxation as it evokes your imagination.  Intended responses are elicited within you by engaging your senses, emotions, and subconscious mind through the skilled use of detailed, descriptive language. Guided imagery has a proven history of being especially helpful for relaxation, stress management, healing promotion, pain control, and performance improvement.

Direct and Indirect Suggestion Hypnotherapy – Direct suggestion hypnosis is a very traditional approach where instructions are clear and delivered with authority. For example, “Now close your eyes. As I count down from the number 10, you will slow your breathing and release tension from your body with each number I say.” Children respond really well to direct suggestions as well as anyone who prefers plain language and simple directions. Indirect suggestion uses subtle, gentle direction prompts such as, “I wonder how relaxed you will feel when you finally allow your eyes to rest closed as I count down from 10. You may take slower deeper breaths now the more you wish to relax.”  This approach is best suited for those who typically have negative responses to authority or being told what to do.

Neuro-Associative Conditioning (NAC) – A six-step approach to changing behavior or beliefs developed by Tony Robbins. First, a clear outcome of what is desired is determined. Second, we use leverage (associating massive pain to the problem and massive pleasure with your desired outcome) to incite motivation, commitment, and transformation. Third, we use pattern interrupts to eliminate previously conditioned responses responsible for the old limiting behavior or belief. Fourth, we replace the limiting beliefs or negative behaviors with more empowering ones. Fifth, we condition the new belief or behavior until it is strong and consistent. Sixth, we test it so you know it works. This may involve having you imagine scenarios that would trigger the limiting and empowering patterns and notice your responses. It may also require your awareness to see how you are responding any differently over time in your day to day life. This process is especially effective for habit change, performance improvement, and goal achievement.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) – NLP, a therapy developed by John Grinder and Richard Bandler, is named after the fundamental dynamics it uses between your mind (neuro), your language (linguistic), and how their interplay affects your body and behavior (programming). Observations of your responses to questions and exercises draw out unconscious automatic patterns you use giving us the ability to change or enhance these patterns until they have become more empowering habits that are once again unconscious and automatic. An example would be noticing where your eyes look when you think of something that causes you to feel anxious and then asking detailed questions about what you are thinking or seeing in your memory or imagination. Then I could guide you through an exercise such as a visual swish pattern where the anxiety-producing image is now shrunk and faded and pushed away to disintegrate in your imagination repeatedly until it’s too difficult to remember how it looks or feels when asked to think of it again. NLP is known best for its successful use of modeling to enhance performance as well as the ability to rapidly clear phobias, like the fear of public speaking, and negative thought patterns.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) – Also known as compassion or empathy-based communication developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, NVC encourages us to deeply listen to the feelings and needs of ourselves and others without judging them. I will model this skillset while I help you build it within yourself. Then you too will be able to better recognize, understand, respect, and respond to feelings, needs, desires, concerns, questions, and requests within yourself and others. NVC is excellent for increasing emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication skills, anger management, and stress management.

Ericksonian Hypnotherapy – Dr. Milton Erickson developed an extremely unique and successful style of hypnotherapy tailored to each client he worked with. It involves flexibility on the part of the hypnotist to use any approach necessary to help a client get results. This could mean the use of indirect suggestions/inductions (transitions into trance states) through the art of conversation by the skilled use of storytelling, metaphors, jokes, parables, or teaching in order to have an intended effect on a person’s subconscious. It could also mean using traditional or nontraditional direct approaches to elicit desired trance states, beliefs, or behaviors. Like directing an unwanted symptom (a bad habit or craving) to happen more often at first so it will disappear sooner as the unconscious pattern is disrupted and replaced by a stronger aversion to having to do it intentionally and more often. This approach is used to enhance the effectiveness of addressing any issue you’d like with hypnotherapy.

Mindfulness Meditation – Mindful Meditation is the practice of being receptive to all thoughts and sensations you experience without focusing your attention on any particular concept or object while you’re actively doing something or being still. This increases the activity of neurons not only in certain emotional areas of your brain but also in frontal regions, which are responsible for your decision making and creativity. By simply observing your surroundings, experience or thoughts calmly and redirecting your attention back to the present moment, you become less reactive and gain greater self-control.  You also have a greater ability to reduce and prevent stress, anxiety, even pain, as well as overcome cravings or unwanted impulses. I guide my clients through mindfulness exercises to help them get a sense of the practice and as a transition to a trance state.

BioCognitive Theory– Developed by Dr. Mario Martinez, Biocognitive Theory addresses the impact of cultural paradigms and the traumas or fears of being shamed, abandoned, betrayed, and rejected during your developmental years as it relates to your health and behaviors. The first step to healing is understanding how all of this has affected your health, habits, and beliefs. The second step is using memory recontextualization to integrate new attitudes and skills that heal past wounds.  New empowering paradigms are created and reinforced by the following actions you take. Bio-Cognitive therapy has been shown to be a very powerful healing process for those suffering from fibromyalgia, PTSD, Conversion Disorder, and what many might refer to as “self-sabotaging behavior.” This includes recovery from addictive behaviors, disordered eating, poverty mindset as well as imposter syndrome.

Brain Health Coaching In Partnership with Amen Clinics

I also provide thorough assessments and treatment protocols for my clients as a Brain Health Coach certified through the Amen Clinic founded by Dr. Daniel Amen. I can treat people according to their brain type/health to make sure they are given every opportunity to achieve their full desired results.

If my client wants to take advantage of this, it can also help us detect underlying causes for their symptoms and behaviors such as untreated head trauma, brain infections, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances that could be causing their symptoms. 

In addition to the Amen Clinic assessments I can provide to my clients, I can also make recommendations or referrals and give discounts on supplements and brain SPECT imaging scans. This service is included for clients who are interested in understanding their brain health and making lifestyle and or dietary adjustments to improve it. This way I can help my clients get an idea of what the best diet, supplements, or medications may be to get their full desired, long-term, results. Especially if extra steps are needed in addition to the hypnotherapy, coaching, or NLP I provide.